Last Thoughts of Moria
by Angels Have Gone
Summary: The thoughts of the Fellowship after leaving Moria. Chapter one is Legolas, two is Aragorn and now chapter three is Legolas in Lorien - beware a title change may occure soon. Please R&R and I'll love you forever
1. I would have fought

Author's Notes: Hullo everyone. This is my first attempt at posting Middle Earth fiction here.. so I hope you all find it satisfactory. This little blip came to me when I was listening to the LotR soundtrack – if you don't have it you should get it, the music is excellent, I think. Anyway, I was listening to the music for the Bridge of Khazad Dum and the very end is sad and melodic. I remembered the look on Legolas' face and decided to write about it here. So.. Huzzah. I'm not sure if I'll write more for the rest of the Fellowship. We'll see. Please Read and Review. I much appreciate it.

- A

Ps: If anyone knows how to change the format on FF.net.. your help would be greatly appreciated -.- I'm not web site literate yet.. Thank you!

Last Thoughts of Moria 

            He was gone. Mithrandir, our guide and the pillar upon which we leaned was gone - taken by an ancient darkness that only I understood. I could do no more than stare back at the fateful path over which we had fled. The great gaping mouth of Moria appeared so dark against the gray stones of the outside world. Grief of this nature was not new to me, but I had not felt it in so long a time. A choking grip on my throat, a tearing claw in my heart, a great rip in my soul. I would have wept and I could feel the tears stinging my eyes and blurring my vision, but my face remained dry. I forced myself to turn away, surveying the damage. Aragorn looked lost, confused, and I could understand some of the anger I saw in his gray eyes – leadership fell on him now, a burden he had not been prepared for. Boromir, the other man, looked very much the same, though he lacked the anger and instead there was regret. His strength was focused on holding back Gimli. The Dwarf's anger was clear and evident - the stout creature wished for revenge and perhaps he sought his own death to end his grief. The Hobbits, though, I feared for them the most. The friends Meridoc and Peregrin sat together, Pippin beside himself and Merry doing his best to offer comfort. It was then I realized that Samwise sat alone, covering his face with his hands. Where was Frodo? My fear grew that the Ringbearer had wandered, but I soon caught sight of him, away from the rest of us. He, more than any of us, looked lost and frightened. Gandalf the Gray had been this Halfling's torch in the darkness, a light which none of us present could ever hope to replace. 

            An anger I could not understand swelled with in me. Why had the wizard fought for us? Why had he placed himself on the bridge when any of us would have faced the Balrog? We would have perished, surely, but the wizard would have remained to guide the rest of the company. My heart burst with emotions I could not contain. And then, Aragorn - our new leader - spoke to  me. 

            "Legolas, get them up." 

            Surely he was mad? We had only just escaped Moria and still suffered from the loss of our guide and guard.. surely he could not mean for us to be on the move again? Even I was not ready to go on. The Man spoke the command again and I knew he meant for it to be done. Boromir let go of Gimli to argue, asking that we remain "for pity's sake." But I had already roused Merry and Pippin, Aragorn raised Sam to his feet. He called to Frodo, snapping him out of his trance, and explained to us all that we must leave these hills - Orcs would be upon us by nightfall. I saw the logic in his decision and, for the time, I put my grief away and buried it deep in my heart. I knew that I could safely bring it back when we reached the Golden Wood of Lothlorien. 

            I cast a fateful look back to the Mines of Moria - I would have fought in your stead, dear Gandalf, with all the might of my great people I would have fought for the sake of the Fellowship. And now I will go on and fulfill this quest for the sake of Middle Earth. 

A Olórin i yáresse

Mentaner i Númeherui

Tírien i Rómenóri

Maiaron i Oiosila

Manan elye etevanne

Nórie i melanelye

Mithrandir, Mithrandir, A Randir Vithren

ú-reniathach i amar galen

I reniad lín ne mór nuithannen

In gwidh ristennin, i fae narchannen

I lach Anor ed ardhon gwannen

Caled veleg, ethuiannen

Translation:

_Olórin, who once was.._

_Sent by the Lords of the West_

_To guard the lands of the East_

_Wisest of all Maiar_

_What drove you to leave_

_That which you loved?_

_Mithrandir, Mithrandir, O Pilgrim Gray_

_No more will you wander the green fields of this earth_

_Your journey has ended in darkness_

_The bonds cut, the spirit broken_

_The Flame of Anor has left this World_

_A great light, has gone out_

-Lament for Gandalf-

Verse One is Quenya

Verse Two and Three are Sindarin

Written by Phillipa Boyens and Howard Shore


	2. A New Leader

I just got back from seeing LotR… again… sad isn't it? Anyway, here's Aragorn's version of it all. It may not be as good as my last one (not that that was too good either) but I'll probably end up fixing it as time goes on. Hope you all like this mini series.. Next chapter they'll be in Lothlorien. Thank  you to everyone that reviews!

-A

            Lost. Confused. Frightened. I was frightened of this heavy new burden that I was made to bear. "Lead them on, Aragorn." Gandalf's request, his command. To lead the Fellowship on. Did he know that he would not pass out of Moria? Did he know that the Balrog would take him? It was a horror to watch and it seemed to unfold so slowly. I saw the monstrous beast cross onto the bridge, heard the cries of the wizard. I saw the demon fall and I breathed a sigh of relief - the Gray Wizard remained and the fellowship could move on. And then I saw it. The great bull whip rise from the depths, tangle around Gandalf's ankle, saw the wizard fall into the darkness. I was numb then, my heart felt as though it was shattering in my chest. Boromir was calling me, I could barely hear his voice over the pounding in my own head. An arrow flew past my head - survival drew me to leave the place above Khazad Dum. 

            The bright but clouded light of the outside world hurt my eyes the moment we left the darkness of Moria. Grief overwhelmed me, I felt I could not bear it. Our leader was gone and so that fell onto me. I was to look after the remaining seven of our group. The weight of it rested on my shoulders as I cleaned the goblin blood away from the sword reforged. 

            "Legolas, get them up." I looked up into the face of the Elf. He looked as though his heart was breaking and unshed tears shone in his blue eyes. But I could pay no heed to the look. He seemed detached from it and everything else as he roused the two Halflings closest to himself. Only Boromir protested.

            "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"

            "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the wood of Lothlorien. On your feet Sam." I lifted the hobbit and I could not bear to look at his face. I could not look at any of them for too long a time, the grief was raw on their faces. Frodo had wandered away and I called to him. My own grief was safely tucked away, it could not get in my way as we traveled on. 


	3. Tears in Lorien

Ah ha! Finally another chapter! I'm also working on another story, so I hope to get the first chapter of that up soon. Be warned… I might actually be writing a romance…. Anyway… this chapter is Legolas in Lórien.

-A

In Lothlórien 

At last, my grief was allowed to be felt in full. The shock of letting it back overwhelmed me at first, but the Lady of the Wood offered me words of comfort. Again and again my heart broke and my soul shattered as I remembered how resigned Mithrandir looked as he fell into the shadowy depths. And again I wished it had been I, not the wizard. 

As evening fell in the Golden Wood I accepted the gift of clothing from my kin. I was grateful for their comfort and the closeness that I did not know in the Fellowship. I let my tears flow, let out my regrets and pain and even my anger, and finally I felt spent. A calm flowed through me, one I had thought I wouldn't feel again for some time. An acceptance of sorts of the loss we had suffered. I could do little more than thank the Elves that surrounded me, but I had to return to the company.

Lórien's atmosphere soothed me, the soft lights that filled the great trees and smooth voices flowed from high above. Words in Sindarin and even a few whispers of Quenya, languages I could listen to forever. I felt so very at home here, I would have been happy to remain in these woods for the rest of my days. Soon I was amongst the Fellowship.

Suddenly a chorus of voices rose from the trees above us and around us. My eyes lit and I could feel my spirit being calmed and mended by the words I heard. "A lament for Gandalf."

Pippin's voice, though quiet, broke our reverent silence. "What do they say?"

I could only offer the man a soft decline; "I cannot bear to speak it, for me the grief is still too near." My pride would not allow me to seem weak in front of this company. I closed my eyes as my native tongue of Sindarin entered a verse. The tones were so familiar and a wave of grief and homesickness swept through me. I mourned for the fallen Istari and I mourned for the thought that now plagued me…. 

I may never see my beloved home again.


End file.
